Fifty-one Maltese women had an abortion in the UK last year compared to 78 the previous year, according to figures released by the Department of Health in Britain.

The drop in number does not necessarily mean fewer Maltese women had an abortion because other expecting mothers may have gone to other countries for the procedure, according to a consultant gynaecologist.

“The numbers are too small to be statistically significant,” the consultant said, adding there was no data for abortions by Maltese women in other countries.

Abortion is illegal in Malta and women who want to terminate their pregnancy often go abroad, with the UK and Sicily being the most popular choices.

Due to the sensitivity of the issue, it was difficult to get a clear picture of how many Maltese women had an abortion and why they opted to, the consultant said.

The average live birth rate in Malta stands at about 3,400 a year.

Last year, the National Statistics Office said an annual average of 57 abortions were carried out on Maltese women in England and Wales over the past 10 years. The highest number, 69, dated back to 2002 and 2007, and the figure dropped to 38 in 2008, the lowest since at least 1990.

Appoġġ, offers a service (helpline 179) to women experiencing crises due to their pregnancy.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.